My Gran used to say that a woman's hands give her age away long before her face does and these wise words have stayed with me over the years. As a result, I have always made the effort to take good care of my hands and I try to use hand creams regularly, as opposed to when I can remember to do so.

La Maison de Senteurs is a product range available from Marks & Spencer, inspired by the traditions and ingredients of Southern France. Not having been to the South of France for a long time, I cannot say whether the Senteurs Blanche hand cream is truly reminiscent of the region or not, but there is certainly something sensual and sophisticated about its light, herbal aroma, which makes me think that perhaps this is what the hands of an elegant, classy French woman smell like!

A 75 ml tube of Senteurs Blanche hand cream is currently priced at £3.50. According to the information on the packaging, this cream is, "blended with essential oil of lemon and a green floral fragrance to uplift and rejuvenate." I was pleased to find that the lemon scent was very subtle, because I had no wish for my hands to smell like a household cleaning product. In fact some may not be able to detect the lemon at all, so if you are expecting a full-on citrus aroma, you might be somewhat disappointed. However, for my purposes the combination of a light lemon fragrance and grassy notes give this scent a fresh, summery quality that I find very appealing. It reminds me of freshly picked flowers and newly mown grass. I find it feminine but in an understated way.

This hand cream contains Shea butter which is prized for its softening qualities. A little of this white cream goes a long way. The texture is just right for me, thick enough to feel sufficiently voluptuous on the skin but not so thick that it is difficult to spread. It squeezes easily out of the tube, with very little effort and absorbs quickly and easily leaving no greasy, sticky residue. This is particularly important for me as I spend my day at the computer and the last thing I want is to transfer grease and oil to my keyboard.

The cream does have an instant moisturising effect when first applied, but I was somewhat disappointed to find that the effect is not particularly long-lasting. Although the backs of my hands still feel reasonably silky after an hour or so, my palms and fingertips can start to feel a little dry again, especially if I am typing for long periods, so I have to reapply this cream more frequently than I would like. Fortunately, the tube is small and light enough to carry around in a handbag and use as appropriate, but I do wish the soothing effects would last longer. Although it does feel pleasant, it isn't the most indulgent hand cream I've ever used and doesn't make my hands feel particularly pampered.

If your hands are in reasonably good condition, as mine are, you may find that this cream is adequate as a day-to-day hand cream, but if you have particularly dry skin, you may need something a bit more intensive. At night time I prefer to use something like 'Smitten' by Lush which I feel gives me a much more noticeable hydrating and softening effect, although this would be much too greasy for me to consider using in the day.

Although the moisturising effects of Senteurs Blanche are a little underwhelming, I adore the scent of this product and I do keep sniffing my hands when I am wearing it. Lemon oil is believed to refresh the mind and remove negative emotion, aiding concentration and alertness if inhaled. Well, I do apply this during my working day but can't honestly say I have noticed any increased efficiency in my performance as a result of using it! However, I do think it may have a slightly calming effect on me. It is one of those scents that does make you think of positive things - summer days, flowers, trees covered in soft green leaves, etc. which is always a good antidote to the most stressful things life is throwing at you.

I find this a useful cream to keep on the shelf in my kitchen. I do a lot of cooking and find that applying this cream after cutting up onions, garlic or fish does help to remove any unpleasant odours that might otherwise linger on my hands. Lemon oil is an effective natural deodorizer. Another good reason to keep this in the kitchen is that sometimes when I have washing up to do, I apply this cream before putting on my rubber gloves. The heat seems to make the hand cream work more efficiently, making my hands more willing to receive the moisture. I have noticed that when I remove the rubber gloves after having a 'sauna' my hands are beautifully soft. This is my favourite way to use this hand cream and it certainly does boost its performance for me.

My slightly OCD mother washes her hands constantly when she is out and about in the big, wide, grubby world. As a result her hands become very dry. I bought her a tube of Senteurs Blanche hand cream for Christmas, so that she could moisturise more regularly. Because lemon oil is a natural antibacterial agent, Mum tells me that she finds it reassuring to apply this cream as she believes it offers some extra protection against all those pesky germs out there.

I would recommend this cream as a pleasant, refreshing hand cream that will give you a quick moisture boost, providing you don't mind reapplying it quite frequently and as long as your hands aren't in a particularly rough or sensitive condition. I have been using this regularly for a couple of months and although I wouldn't go so far as saying my hands look rejuvenated, they don't look too bad considering we're in the middle of winter. My nails are also healthy. I was impressed to discover that lemon oil is a useful ingredient to guard against fungal nail infections, so it seems a very appropriate ingredient for a hand cream. However, I would stress that this is more a general maintenance type of hand cream than an intensive treatment for hands that are in need of some serious TLC.

I can't see this replacing Soap and Glory's Hand Food as my first choice hand cream, because the moisturising effects of the Soap and Glory product are much longer lasting, in my experience. However, I love the scent so much that I am sure I will buy Senteurs Blanche again as the trusty stand-by to keep by the kitchen sink or in the bathroom where guests can have the benefit of it.

On a positive note, this product is approved by the BUAV, which appeals to me as I prefer to avoid products that are tested on animals. If you like the fragrance as much as I do, you may also be interested in some of the other products in the range, which include body wash, bath cream, body lotion and scented candles.